Kentucky man arrested for shooting down drone

[SilverStone641]

http://video.foxnews.com/v/43839099...-blasting-drone-with-a-shotgun/?intcmp=hpvid1

Like the title says, this dude blew a drone out of the sky. After watching the video I'm not sure who I'd agree with. On the drone side, the GoPros don't really have the zoom or clarity to properly peep. But on the guys side, I'd be a bit upset myself if my daughters were sitting out by the pool and a drone came by to hang out. What do you think?

 

[BlackHawk388]

You cannot simply discharge a firearm in a neighborhood. While I think the man has an excellent point about his privacy, he went about it completely wrong. I would hope he wouldn't be required to pay for the drone even though his actions were reckless.

 

[LuvMyTJ]

What do I think? I think if he really felt threatened he should call the authorities who can handle it from there. Who knows how dense the neighborhood is where this guy is firing off shots in the air. He took the law into his own hands which usually doesn't end well. Most likely he will be making restitution to the drone owner. What if the guy was filming something nearby and never even noticed the guys daughter out there. I guess the video footage will decide that. When will one of these nut jobs be charged under federal law for shooting down an aircraft?

 

[BlackHawk388]

What do I think? I think if he really felt threatened he should call the authorities who can handle it from there. Who knows how dense the neighborhood is where this guy is firing off shots in the air. He took the law into his own hands which usually doesn't end well. Most likely he will be making restitution to the drone owner. What if the guy was filming something nearby and never even noticed the guys daughter out there. I guess the video footage will decide that. When will one of these nut jobs be charged under federal law for shooting down an aircraft?

Good point about the video. If it shows this drone was filming something entirely different and not the girl by the pool, the guy should have to pay for said drone.

 

[Monte55]

Must have been close if a shotgun took it out.

 

[PhantomFilters]

Common sense goes a long way. That includes not using drones to snoop on your neighbors.

The shooters actions are obviously completely out of line. But there is a real privacy concern.

Still, will he be shooting at private airplanes too then? It is very easy to sit up in a private airplane with a large tele-zoom-lense and most likely get much more detailed photos of his backyard than would be possible with a quadcopter with a GoPro-like camera.

Must have been close if a shotgun took it out.

From what I could gather, it didn't give any details if the quadcopter was actually hit.

Stupid media-hysteria, to be honest.

 

[jason]

No matter what he was taping or taking photos of didn't give the home owner the right to take the law into his hands and down the drone. Maybe he should be charged under federal law as an example to others but at least make restitution to the drones owner.

 

[Monte55]

From what I could gather, it didn't give any details if the quadcopter was actually hit.

Stupid media-hysteria, to be honest.

How do you shoot a flying machine out of the sky without hitting it?

 

[Airborne]

snooping is obviously wrong.

so is discharging a weapon into the air over privacy concerns.

fools on both sides of the story...

 

[Clipper707]

We don't know the drone was snooping.

 

[jason]

snooping is obviously wrong.

so is discharging a weapon into the air over privacy concerns.

fools on both sides of the story...

First off you have only heard one side of the story. And secondly you do not if he snooping, taping or even had a camera on board.

 

[snerd]

Fools, both of them. Why anyone wants to create problems by flying in and over their neighborhood is beyond me! Stop it!! And the fool that shot at it.................. how can you get to be that age and NOT know that you can't just shoot off a firearm inside most city limits like that?! We're on the downhill slide, ladies and gents. No turning this ignorant population around.

 

[BlackHawk388]

Some of my Facebook friends are commenting about this story. To a person, they are ALL saying the drone pilot is in the wrong, the man with the shotgun in the right, blah, blah, blah.

I just made a post making some of the observations I've read here.

1. From that height, the video and/or pictures wouldn't be detailed enough for spying on people.
2. How do we know the camera was even on and if it was, that it was pointed at the man's backyard?
3. So you would be fine with people shooting a shotgun into the air and having a damaged drone, and possibly a LIPO battery catching fire upon impact, stagger off and crash on top of YOUR house?
4. The drone operator is JUST as big an idiot as the homeowner.

I look forward to the responses.

 

[Marlin009]

4. The drone operator is JUST as big an idiot as the homeowner.

I think I'm going to have to give the edge to the homeowner on this one.

 

[LuvMyTJ]

I think I'm going to have to give the edge to the homeowner on this one.

So you feel if you don't like something (non-life threatening) you should take the law into your own hands? So when that kid with the new loud motorcycle comes down the road, blasting by my house at 65 (30mph zone) I should be able to shoot the engine or tires as he passes and I would be a hero?

 

[Marlin009]

So you feel if you don't like something (non-life threatening) you should take the law into your own hands? So when that kid with the new loud motorcycle comes down the road, blasting by my house at 65 (30mph zone) I should be able to shoot the engine or tires as he passes and I would be a hero?

Negative. BH said "The drone operator is JUST as big an idiot as the homeowner."

I'm giving the edge to the homeowner as the bigger idiot. It really isn't even that close.

 

[PhantomFilters]

How do you shoot a flying machine out of the sky without hitting it?

I know, but was it "shot out of the sky"?

I'm honestly confused as to what really happened.

 

[SteveMann]

I'm giving the edge to the homeowner as the bigger idiot. It really isn't even that close.

Thanks for the clarification.

 

[Airborne]

First off you have only heard one side of the story. And secondly you do not if he snooping, taping or even had a camera on board.

correct, but if the homeowner is telling the truth, the drone hung out above the house/pool for a more than briefly.

my deductive reasoning tells me teenager looking at teenage girl by the pool with FPV.

however, i could be wrong. it's happened once or twice to me

 

[SteveMann]

Even if the video on the phone validates the trespass charge, shooting it down is the greater crime. The homeowner should have simply called the police.